The invention relates to a printer having a paper transporting roll and a housing having a front panel with a paper outlet slot. Printers of this type are used, for example, in motor vehicles in order to be able to output in paper form values stored in tachographs. Particularly in utility vehicles, because of the environmental conditions which occur therein, it is necessary to provide a device to protect against the penetration of dust and spray water. From the prior art, it is known to cover the printer completely or, when the printer is installed in a dashboard, to cover a corresponding front panel completely with a protective cap. In order to print out values, this cap either has to be removed by hand or moved away by a complicated mechanism.